The following plan from 2018 is one of China’s earliest national AI industrial policies. The plan identifies 16 specific application areas for AI technology, including vehicles, robots, UAVs, medical devices, IoT, AI chips, smart manufacturing, and cybersecurity, and sets goals for each of these to reach by 2020. The plan includes forms and instructions to guide Chinese companies in applying for government support to develop these technologies.

An archived version of the Chinese source text is available online at:  https://perma.cc/78EK-QRNQ

Work Plan Unveiling the Key Tasks for Innovation in the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Industry

This Plan is formulated to implement the requirements of the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan¹ ([2017] State Council document no. 35) and the Three-Year Action Plan for Promoting Development of a New Generation Artificial Intelligence Industry (2018–2020)² ([2017] MIIT document No. 315), and to accelerate innovation-driven development of China’s new generation artificial intelligence (AI) industry.

I. Work Objectives

Focusing on the key directions of “cultivating intelligent products, making breakthroughs in core foundations, deepening the development of smart manufacturing, and building supporting systems,” this Plan will solicit and select a number of work units that have mastered key and core technologies (关键核心技术) and possess strong innovation capacity to carry out concentrated efforts on major challenges. The aim is to achieve breakthroughs in a batch of technologically advanced, high-performance iconic AI products, platforms, and services with fruitful applications; establish benchmarks and direction for innovation across the industry; and foster the main forces driving innovation in China’s AI industry.

II. Challenge Tasks (揭榜任务) and Expected Targets

(i) Intelligent Products

1. Intelligent Connected Vehicles

Challenge task: Conduct R&D on key technologies and products including autonomous driving chips, intelligent algorithms for vehicles, autonomous driving systems, and onboard communications systems. Build a vehicle intelligentization (智能化) platform centered on a vehicle intelligent computing platform that integrates software, hardware, algorithms, connected communications, and information security.

Expected targets: By 2020, achieve breakthroughs in key technologies such as intelligent chips for autonomous driving, intelligent algorithms for vehicles, autonomous driving, and onboard communications. Enable intelligent connected vehicles to reach the level of autonomous driving with preconditions (有条件自动驾驶). Narrow the gap with the international advanced level in intelligent chips for autonomous driving in computing capabilities such as image processing, information fusion, and intelligent control. Bring the communication capacity and energy-efficiency ratio of onboard V2X systems up to the international advanced level. Meet the computing and communication technical requirements for intelligent perception, autonomous decision-making, cooperative control, and intelligent information exchange and sharing under autonomous driving with preconditions. Complete technical and functional verification and application demonstrations of a safe and reliable vehicle intelligentization platform. Form platform-related standards to support highly automated (HA-level) driving.

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1. Translator’s note: For an English translation of the New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Plan, see: https://www.newamerica.org/cybersecurity-initiative/digichina/blog/full-translation-chinas-new-generation-artificial-intelligence-development-plan-2017/.
2. Translator’s note: For an English translation of the Three-Year Action Plan for Promoting Development of a New Generation Artificial Intelligence Industry (2018-2020), see: https://www.newamerica.org/cybersecurity-initiative/digichina/blog/translation-chinese-government-outlines-ai-ambitions-through-2020/.